


Excerpt - Inhale, Exhale

by your_narratress



Series: Patreon Previews - April 2021 [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angsty Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Love, M/M, Massage, Modern AU, One Shot, Relationship(s), Therapy, eruri - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29514384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/your_narratress/pseuds/your_narratress
Summary: Breathing is supposed to be easy. That's probably what most people think. There shouldn't be a need to practice every day, right?Still, that's just what Levi is supposed to do. But sometimes, it's not that easy to follow the instructions a therapist gives you.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith
Series: Patreon Previews - April 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2193618
Kudos: 15





	Excerpt - Inhale, Exhale

Never in his life Levi would have thought that one day he was going to need a guide on how to breathe. And yet, here he was, looking down at the sheet and scanning the printed words.

‘It’s not necessary to focus too much on counting in the beginning. But you should find a decent position for when you want to practice. Sit down and relax your arms for example, or lie down and make yourself comfortable.’

Levi listened to his therapist and nodded, folding the sheet in half and putting it away into his bag.

‘Just like we practiced,’ he said. ‘Alright.’

‘Yes, exactly,’ the friendly woman replied. ‘Okay, see you next week. Have a nice weekend.’

She stood up up and opened the door for him. Levi followed her.

‘Yes, thank you. You, too,’ he said with a slight wave of the hand.

Levi walked outside and tried to clear his head. Because that head was a complete mess. It was a late Friday afternoon and he was grateful that his therapist had been able to arrange an appointment this late. Now he was going to drive home and cook, so that everything would be ready for dinner when Erwin arrived. Erwin had to work late as well. This entire week Levi had tried to get everything done without much support, as he was the first one to arrive at home.

Unlocking his car, Levi’s thoughts just wandered around. He remembered all the work that had to be done. And the cooking. Then he also remembered that he still needed to go to the grocery store to pick up a few ingredients. He sighed, got into the drivers seat and fastened his seat belt. He needed to hurry up if he wanted to finish cooking before Erwin got home. His stomach clenched at all the thoughts and he looked down at it.

‘Stop. Stop it. Stop hurting.’

He felt like a child, saying those words. But his stomach didn’t listen anyways. His chest felt heavy and he sighed once again. The feeling of weight and discomfort seemed to be planted into his body. He started the engine and drove out of the parking lot.

When he got home from the grocery store roughly forty five minutes later, Erwin luckily still wasn’t home. Levi placed the bag on the kitchen counter and sorted out what had to go into the fridge. Also, he filled a cooking pot up with water and left it to start boiling. Afterwards, he went to his office room and sat down at his desk. Doubts rising in his mind, he pulled the piece of paper from his bag and read the explanations once more.

_Inhale deeply into the stomach while counting from 1 to 4. Hold it while counting from 1 to 6. Exhale while counting from 1 to 8. Repeat. Do this exercise for a few minutes every day._

Sounded easy. Should be easy. But Levi was worried anyways. It was just _breathing_ , and still he kind of knew that he was going to mess it up. When going through the exercises with his therapist, it was a little bit easier than trying it alone. But in whatever situation, it was never exactly easy.

Putting the paper down on the desk in front of him, Levi sat straight up and left his arms hanging loose at his sides. He focused on his stomach, telling himself not to breathe into his chest. Shuffling a little on his chair got him into a more comfortable position. He tried to relax and inhale.

[...]

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, thanks for reading!  
> If you want to read the full story, make sure to check out my [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/your_narratress/), because I'll publish it on Patreon.  
> Also, I practiced the British punctuation rules on direct & reported speech in this story. It's a first try.  
> Feedback is appreciated!  
> Your Narratress :)


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